Authors Note: Okay, so I don't own Digimon, although yes, I do dream of it. Hell, if I did, there would be a lot more scenes with Yama booty. But no. I do not own Digimon, so please, don't sue me for this little fic! And it's best read while listening to "Underground" by Moist. That's what inspired it. So please read, review, and enjoy! And Merry Christmas to you and yours!
*The Hatter ^_~
Distant Stars
Yamato Ishida looked out the window at the fresh snow tumbling from the heavens. Outside it was snowing, and yet the sky was clear, showing off a bleak midnight sky laced with distant, silvery stars.
Taichi was seated on the bed, looking down at the sickly patient. Her face was pale and worn; mahogany eyes a dark, tragic brown. Her red hair clung to her face, limp and drenched with sweat.
"You think the others will come for this?" he asked the blonde boy. They weren't boys anymore, really, but older teens, and they knew what was happening.
She was dying, right before their eyes. The doctors said tonight would be it. Then she'd be lost to them forever. They would never be a team again.
"I know they will," Yamato said in an assured tone, and turned to the window, "we're gone through so much together, that they'll want to be here for her."
He resumed watching for shadows of his friends, waiting listlessly.
"Tai…?"
Tai looked down at the girl. Her hands were flailing around; her eyes were looking blankly at the air before her.
"Hey," Tai soothed, "I'm right here."
He made a grab for her hand and held it tightly. She seemed to calm down, and shut her eyes.
"I ache…." She groaned. Tai nodded lightly, eyes brimming with tears.
"I know, Sora," he replied, "just try to hold on for a little longer. We want you wide awake for our friends!"
Sora smiled slightly.
"I miss them already," she replied, "It'll be so nice to see them one last time…"
Matt made a fist and refrained from hitting the window.
"DON'T say that." He said stiffly. Sora's eyes flew open and she looked over at him, barely able to move her head.
"I'm dying, though," she said softly in a thin, frail voice, "aren't I?"
Tai smiled slightly as he looked down on his friend, his Alai, his older sister.
"Of course not," he replied, "You're gonna be fine. Stop talking like that…"
The door creaked open, and a small face poked in.
"…Tai…?" Kari said shyly. Tai turned around to see his little sister walk into the room, followed by Yamato's younger brother, TK. The young blonde looked up, his eyes watery, wavering with fractured light. In his hand he clutched a small bouquet of flowers. Tai waved the two in, and they proceeded towards the bed.
"Sora?" Kari asked in a small voice, "I'm here…"
Sora looked blankly to where Kari's voice was coming from.
"Kari," she whispered, "How are you, sweetie?"
Kari let a tear slide down her cheek.
"I've had better days," she replied, "how about you?"
Sora smiled lightly and groped for Kari's hand.
"I'm just great," she said with a sigh, "just great. Is TK here, too?"
"I'm right here." TK said in a broken voice. His eyes were wide and pained. Matt could barely look at him without feeling like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. He looked back out the window to see Izzy racing for the hospital. He smiled slightly and wondered if Izzy could see him from all this way up. It would have been almost…supine, knowing he was immortal from below.
TK walked over and sat on the bed.
"Sora," he choked out, "Sora, we brought you flowers from your mom's old store…"
Sora smiled a little bit.
"Let me smell them…" she said, and reached out a hand. TK slipped them into her grip, and Sora guided the bouquet to her nose, and inhaled deeply.
"They're beautiful, TK…" she rasped, and reached for his hand. He took it with conviction, and held it to his cheek. Mournfully holding onto it for dear life.
Izzy burst through the door.
"Am I too late?" he gasped. Tai and Kari narrowed their eyes at him and held their fingers to their lips.
"There's Mimi and Joe," Matt said, "That's all of us, then…"
Matt tapped on the glass and watched as the blue haired figure from below tried to persuade the frail young girl into the building. She pulled back a bit, then looked up. As if she saw him, she nodded, and followed willingly, albeit slowly, into the hospital.
Izzy looked at Sora with a pining look haunting his dark eyes. She was a good friend to him, and he would miss her. He ADORED her. She was always so generous when they played soccer, always sharing the ball, cheering for him, giving him a pat on the back for a job well done…
He bit his lip and looked at his shoes. If she didn't know he was there, maybe he wouldn't remember.
Still, he couldn't let her go without saying goodbye.
Slowly, he edged towards the bed, and cleared his throat.
"Sora…?"
She looked around.
"Izzy!" she said in a delighted tone, "Izzy, where are you?"
Izzy took a step forward.
"I'm r-right here…" he said in as steady a tone as he could. Sora looked around, bewildered.
"She can't see you, Izzy," Tai replied, "She's going blind…"
Izzy's heart sank.
"Well," he choked out, "I'm…here for you, Sora…"
Sora smiled and leaned back on her pillows.
"And soon Mimi and Joe will be here, and then we'll all be together one last time…" she whispered. Matt clenched his teeth, but suddenly saw a shadow dart swiftly along the street and race into the hospital. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and smiled.
'I guess you'll go to the ends of the earth,' he thought, 'if you're in love…'
Joe and Mimi walked into the room. Mimi a little more reluctantly, looking plaintively at Sora's bed.
"No," she wailed, "I can't be here, I can't…"
"Mimi," Sora said in a hushed tone. Mimi was silent.
"Mimi," Sora continued, "come here, I wanna talk to you…"
Mimi meekly trudged over to Sora's bed.
"Sit." Sora commanded weakly. Mimi sat.
The invalid girl let out a long, shuddering sigh before she spoke.
"Mimi," she whispered, "I know you didn't want to see any more of your friends get hurt, and I know that you don't wanna lose them, but you must know by now that when you have to die, you have to die…"
Mimi choked back more tears, then nodded.
"I know…" she whispered.
"This is my time to die Mimi," Sora said strongly, as though she was better again, "God is telling me to go to him. I can't stop it. All I can say is I'm gonna miss you."
Mimi sniffled and clutched Sora's hand.
"I'm gonna miss you, too…" she replied.
"We're all going to miss you," Joe said, walking up behind Mimi and putting a supportive hand on her shoulder, "You're a good friend to all of us…"
Matt walked up beside Tai and shot him a warm smile. Tai nodded, and looked at Sora, tears brimming in his eyes.
"This is it…" Sora whispered, "I'm just so glad you were all here for me…"
"I'm here, too."
All faces turned around to see a familiar face walk into the room and brush some snow out of his hair. His brown eyes glowed with warmth and kindness as he walked over to stand beside TK.
"D-Davis…?" TK asked, voice quivering. Davis nodded and smiled.
"Davis…" Sora whispered, "You're here too…"
Davis nodded.
"I'll always be here." He said bravely. Sora smiled and looked at the ceiling. Her breath caught a little bit as another surge of pain racked her body.
"You know what, guys?" she whispered.
"What?" Mimi asked, now in tears. Sora smiled broadly, positively radiating with love.
"I'm so glad we were all friends," she whispered, "it's meant more to me than anything…"
"Me too," Matt replied.
"And me," Tai whispered.
"Don't forget about me," Kari said softly, as TK made a tiny squeak of a reply. Mimi squeezed Sora's hand.
"I'm glad, too…" Joe said with a hollow smile.
"It meant a lot to me, too…" Izzy said in a sad tone.
"It meant a lot to all of us, Sora," Davis said in a hushed tone, clutching TK's hand tightly in his own, "and we're glad we're all here today with you, instead of still strangers."
Sora nodded.
"Even though the cause of us being here is sad," Matt said, looking up, "I'm happy that we knew you, Sora. Tell us, are you happier that we're here, instead of being alone?"
Sora's mind flickered with one word. 'No.'
They would have to see her suffer, they would suffer in turn, and she wanted anything but to see them upset. But…they loved her. And she loved them.
"I am." She said softly, a tiny tear rolling down her eyes. He sight came back for a moment, and she saw her friends for a brief moment, then it faded away.
She shut here eyes tightly. Kari, the ever-wise one, leaned down and whispered something in her ear.
"Can you see the end, Sora?" she whispered. Sora nodded.
"I'm afraid…"
Kari shook her head, a tiny smile playing on her lips.
"Don't be," she whispered, "just let go…"
Sora smiled and nodded.
"I love you…" she whispered, "my friends. I always will."
And with that, her breath caught one last time, and her pillow sank a bit. Her face went pale, and her body perfectly limp. Her face was peaceful, though. A tiny smile was on her lips. She looked almost alive, only sleeping.
The crest of love glowed brightly on her chest, and slowly it began to dissolve into tiny particles, each particle a red light, pouring into the bodies of her friends. Matt felt his heart being tugged it. Tai reached out a hand and entwined his baby finger with Yamato's. Matt's hand crept along, and he held Tai's hand in his own, running his thumb over the back of the tanned boy's hand. They shot each other a loving glance, and Yamato mouthed the words "I love you". Tai blushed a bit, and turned to face the body of their departed friend. The whole space around them glowed a warm red.
TK let out a tiny choked sob and turned to Davis. Tenderly, Davis pulled TK's head to his chest and placed a tiny kiss on his forehead. Kari looked down at her clutched hands, and beamed. Sora was happy now. Mimi and Joe were in tears, and Izzy looked at the beaming Kari.
Perhaps they were the only two who knew that Sora was happier this way.
He was so glad it had ended this way.
The body was taken to the morgue, to await a funeral that would be held in two days. They had already chosen a nice resting place overlooking Heighton View Terrace, where their journey together began. It was under the shade of a willow tree.
Matt sat on the windowsill of the hospital room, looking out at the snowflakes falling down from a cloudless sky. And as he looked up, he swore he could have seen a familiar figure with red hair, wearing a blue hat, sleeveless yellow t-shirt, and blue jeans, looking down at him, smiling. It looked back up at the sky, and disappeared into a tiny spark. That spark soared into the heavens and faded with a twinkle, joining the chorus of distant stars.